Transcript: NewsCenter Podcast

Oct. 29, 2025

Good day, and welcome to the Fairfax County NewsCenter podcast. Coming up, learn about the Tysons Tracker, scams and scammers, an award for the Spring Hill Rec Center and affordable housing. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.

 

The Tysons Tracker, your go-to source for development of the Tysons Urban center, is now updated with data and projects from June 2024 to June 2025. The Tysons Tracker is an interactive platform that tracks implementation of the planning vision outlined in the Comprehensive Plan for Tysons, originally adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2010. The plan outlines a vision for Tysons as a sustainable urban center with walkable neighborhoods, serving an estimated 100,000 residents and 200,000 employees by 2050. The interactive platform sheds light on Tysons’ progress in the areas of land development, transportation, environmental stewardship, public facilities, parks, and general implementation efforts. In addition to the annual updates, several new features launched on the Tysons Tracker include new data on housing, additional bicyclist and pedestrian focused data, an interactive map of stream restoration projects, and public facility funding information. NewsCenter has more.

 

Scams are not new, but scammers are always finding new ways to take your money or identity (among other things). AARP estimates there are about 80 scams going on in our community at any one time. Learn how to recognize a potential scam and educate yourself about some of the ones our local law enforcement have seen in our neighborhoods recently. Fairfax County detectives from the Police Financial Crimes Unit recently uncovered a credit card skimming operation that targeted ATMs and payment devices inside stores across the Richmond Highway corridor. Credit card skimming devices are often small, discreet and designed to blend in seamlessly with legitimate card readers. They can be found at ATMs, gas pumps and even self-checkout machines. Here are some tips to help protect yourself from becoming a victim:

• Inspect before you insert. Before using an ATM or gas pump, look closely at the card reader and keypad. If the card slot looks loose, bulky or mismatched in color or material compared to the rest of the machine, it could be a skimmer.
• Check for hidden cameras. Skimmers are often paired with tiny cameras aimed at capturing your PIN. Look for any unusual attachments, pinholes or objects positioned near the keypad.
• Do not accept assistance from anyone you don’t know while using an ATM or payment device. Scammers sometimes pose as helpful bystanders to distract you or capture your information.
• Cover your PIN. Always use your hand to shield the keypad while entering your PIN, even if you don’t see anything suspicious.
• Use familiar or well-lit locations. Whenever possible, use ATMs inside banks or high-traffic areas where criminals are less likely to install devices unnoticed.
• Monitor your accounts regularly. Review your bank and credit card statements frequently for unauthorized transactions, even small ones, which can signal a compromised card.
• Use contactless payment methods. Tap-to-pay cards or mobile wallets provide an extra layer of protection, as they don’t transmit your physical card data.

If you believe you’ve been a victim of skimming or notice a suspicious device, do not attempt to remove it. Instead, call the police non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.

 

The Fairfax County Park Authority has been awarded the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council award in recognition of its exceptional energy efficiency improvements at the Spring Hill Rec Center, located at 1239 Spring Hill Road in McLean. This honor highlights FCPA’s leadership in sustainability and its commitment to reducing energy consumption across its facilities. The energy efficiency improvements made at the Spring Hill Rec Center reflect three key principles: environmental stewardship, energy efficiency and cost savings, and a collaborative effort. The project achieved a 37% reduction in energy use. Through the County’s energy services contract, utilities savings exceeded expectations, with a utility cost avoidance of more than $116,000 annually, far surpassing the guaranteed savings of $67,118. This project allowed the Park Authority to meet Fairfax County’s 25% energy reduction goal ahead of the 2030 milestone in the County Operational Energy Strategy.

 

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Fairfax County Government have established the goal of creating 10,000 new units of affordable housing by the year 2034 and to preserve the county's existing stock of affordable housing. While this does include development and preservation of properties owned by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, much of this work is undertaken through private development with significant public resources applied by the county in the form of financing assistance and the contribution of public land. Learn more about affordable housing projects at ww.fairfaxcounty.gov/housing/projects.

 

Finally, subscribe to “Weekender,” the county’s weekend arts and entertainment e-newsletter. “Weekender” brings together offerings from around the county and delivers that info right to your inbox. Don’t miss out on fun happenings throughout the county. Subscribe to “Weekender” at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/weekender.

 

That’s all for this NewsCenter podcast. Thanks for listening. For more information about the topics in this podcast and for news updates, visit fairfaxcounty.gov/news. Follow the NewsCenter podcast on soundcloud.com/fairfaxcounty and our podcasts webpage, fairfaxcounty.gov/podcasts. You can also listen 24/7 online to Fairfax County Government Radio at fairfaxcounty.gov/radio. If you have questions, call 703-FAIRFAX, that’s 703-324-7329, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or email publicaffairs@fairfaxcounty.gov. The NewsCenter podcast is produced by the Fairfax County, Va., Government.